Ferguson's pre-season plans hit by triple dose of bad news

ALEX FERGUSON'S pre-season plans have been hit by a triple dose of bad news even before touching down in the United States.

First Ferguson learnt that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, one of the four strikers he expressed so much delight in having available just 24 hours earlier, had suffered a worrying recurrence of the knee problem which wrecked last season.

Then, while he was still airborne, star winger Cristiano Ronaldo was selected for the Portuguese Olympic squad, ruling the talented teenager out of the first six games of United's season, including the two-legged Champions League qualifier.